Vybz Kartel has had a legal victory at the Jamaican Court of Appeal.
The dancehall artist was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams in 2014 and was ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole.
Now, following an appeal, Kartel has had this reduced and he will only need to serve 32 years and 6 months. This means that in the event of a successful parole hearing, the artist may leave prison in 2046, aged 70.
Vybz Kartel has been incarcerated since 2011 and he has continued to release music from behind bars.
Kartel was convicted of murder in 2014 and was denied an appeal to revoke his sentence earlier this month as he continues to protest his innocence.
At the time, the Court of Appeal said, “the sentences imposed by the judge in this case cannot be said to have been excessive to such an extent as to call for this court’s intervention”.
Kartel’s lawyers have not stopped at this small parole victory however and they have confirmed that they will be taking their appeal of Vybz Kartel’s sentence to the highest level possible – the Privy Council.
As we keep you updated with the story, take in more dancehall news by watching the visuals for Popcaan’s new track “Numbers Don’t Lie”.